Christmas Eve Box Ideas: What to Put In and How to Make It a Tradition
A Christmas Eve box is a small box or crate opened on the evening of 24 December, filled with a few things to make the night before Christmas feel like an event in its own right. It works for a toddler, a teenager, a couple or a whole household, and it can cost £10 or £100 depending on what you put in. This guide covers Christmas Eve box ideas by age, how to keep the cost sensible, and how to turn a one-off into something your family looks forward to every year.
What is a Christmas Eve box for?
The point of the box is to give the evening a shape. Most families open it after tea, then follow the same routine: new pyjamas on, a film or a book, a hot drink, a treat, and something to do before bed, such as putting out a mince pie or sprinkling reindeer food on the lawn. A good box is made up of things that will be used that night, not a second round of presents. Three to five items is plenty.
Start with the pyjamas
The one item that appears in almost every Christmas Eve box is a new pair of pyjamas, and it is the item that does the most work. Everyone changes into them straight away and they are worn in every photo that evening and the next morning. Matching sets make this easier because the whole family is ready for the Christmas morning photo without anyone having to be talked into it.
Our matching family Christmas pyjamas are sold by size group, so you buy the men's set, the women's set and the children's sets in the same print and put one in each box. There are kids' Christmas pyjamas from 2 to 14 years and baby sizes from 3 to 18 months, so siblings of different ages can match. If the dog is part of the household, several prints also come in a dog Christmas pyjama version, which tends to be the thing guests remember. Check the size guide before ordering, because the pyjamas need to fit on the night rather than after Christmas.
Christmas Eve box ideas by age
Toddlers and under-fives
Keep it simple and sensory.
- New pyjamas in a print they recognise, such as reindeer or candy canes
- A short picture book about the night before Christmas
- A small bath toy or bath bomb to make bedtime easier
- A sachet of hot chocolate and their own mug
- A packet of "reindeer food" (oats and a little edible glitter) to scatter outside
Primary school age
This is the age the box lands best, because children are old enough to anticipate it and young enough to believe in it completely.
- Pyjamas, ideally matching a parent or sibling
- A Christmas film they have not seen, or a voucher for choosing the family film
- A letter or note "from the North Pole" confirming they are on the list
- A craft or activity that takes 20 minutes: a paper chain kit, a colouring set, a small Lego build
Teenagers
Teenagers will say they are too old for it and then be quietly put out if it stops. Shift the box from magic to comfort.
- Pyjamas or a loungewear-style set they would actually wear in front of friends
- Decent hot chocolate or a flavoured coffee rather than a sachet
- Fluffy socks or slippers
- A cinema or streaming gift card, or a paperback they have mentioned
- Their favourite sweets, in a quantity that acknowledges they are no longer six
Adults and couples
A box for adults is really a night-in kit. Build it around the plan for the evening rather than around presents.
- Matching couples' Christmas pyjamas
- A bottle of something, from mulled wine to a non-alcoholic alternative
- A cheese or chocolate selection to open while wrapping is finished
- A board game or a quiz book for after the children are in bed
- A handwritten card, which costs nothing and is the item most often kept
The dog
Dogs do not understand the date, but they understand new things in a box. Keep edible items to dog-safe treats and avoid anything with chocolate, raisins or sweeteners.
- A matching dog pyjama or jumper for the photo
- A festive toy, ideally one that squeaks less than it looks like it will
- A bag of dog treats or a dental chew
How much should a Christmas Eve box cost?
There is no right figure, but a useful rule is that the box should cost less than the smallest main present. For most families that means £15 to £40 per child, with the pyjamas being the largest single item and the rest made up of things under £5. A few ways to keep costs down:
- Reuse the box. A wooden crate or a lidded box bought once becomes part of the tradition, and children recognise it coming out of the cupboard.
- Buy pyjamas early. Matching sets in popular sizes sell out through November and December, and ordering early also avoids the rush around our 10 December Christmas order deadline.
- Combine orders. Buying the whole family's pyjamas together takes most orders over the £65 free UK delivery threshold.
- Do one shared box for the household rather than one each. A single box with pyjamas for everyone, a film, snacks and a game is cheaper and encourages everyone to open it together.
How to make it a tradition
A tradition is just something you repeat without discussing it. A few habits make the box stick from year to year.
- Open it at the same time. After the evening meal, before the film, works for most families.
- Keep the box itself. Label it with the family name or the year it started and store it with the decorations.
- Keep the pyjamas constant. New pyjamas every year, in matching prints, give you a run of Christmas morning photos that show everyone growing. Our earlier guide on starting a tradition with matching Christmas pyjamas goes into this in more detail.
- Change one thing a year. The film, the treat or the activity can move with the children's ages while the shape of the evening stays the same.
Christmas Eve box FAQ
When should I buy things for a Christmas Eve box?
Aim to have everything by the first week of December. Pyjamas are the item most likely to be out of stock in the size you need, so order those first. Our UK orders are dispatched within 7 to 10 working days, and orders placed after 10 December are not guaranteed to arrive before Christmas Day.
What age should a Christmas Eve box start?
Most families start somewhere between two and four, once a child can take part in the routine. There is no upper limit; many parents keep going with teenagers and adult children by shifting the contents towards comfort rather than toys.
Do all the pyjamas have to match?
No. Some families match everyone, some match the children only, and some pick one colour and let everyone choose their own print within it. Matching sets are simply the easiest way to get a coordinated photo without planning. See our family Christmas pyjamas to compare prints available across adult, kids', baby and dog sizes.
